It is officially 2014, and smart brands are aware of the fact that social media will only become more essential to their content strategy as the year moves forward. Social media has transformed the way businesses market and advertise their products and services, and these predictions outline the top trends for social media in 2014.
Listening to customers is a necessity
There must be a two way conversation between a brand and its customers. Listening is key. Businesses must build relationships with their target audience and get involved in what others are saying. More and more customers are going online to voice their opinions, complaints, and questions via social media. In fact, 88% of customers are less likely to buy from companies who leave social media complaints unanswered. In the upcoming year, more global companies will devote time and resources to engagement on social sites.
Visual content will be integral
2013 brought the rise of image centric social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr, and in 2014 these sites will only continue to grow. Content that applies to visual senses brings more engagement and attention than text (many consumers would rather share a photo as opposed to 140 characters). Brands need to be more mindful of how "sharable" their content is across all social platforms. Marketers must look beyond vanity metrics and create compelling visual content that inspires, connects, and most importantly drives desired action.
The takeover of micro video
To expand on the above point, micro video is becoming more powerful. It seems that viewing 3 minute videos has become too time consuming for most individuals, so that is where the extreme "sharability" of micro videos comes into play. 2013 brought Vine, which allows 6 second videos, and then Instagram introduced its video sharing feature which allows 3-15 second videos. These short videos are an amazing opportunity for brands to reach potential and current customers via their smart phone or tablet, and there is no doubt the real time sharing of these bite-sized pieces of content are going to get more popular this year.
At evolve media, we can take your business to the next level and keep your brand in line with the new trends in social media marketing. Your competition is taking advantage of these platforms to reach their audience…why shouldn't you? Contact us today to get started with your 2014 marketing strategy.
